Steerable front wheel drive tractor



May 22,1945.

E. W. COLE STEERABLE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRACTOR Filed July 20, 1944 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 22', 1945. E w, COLE 2,376,419

' STEERABLE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRACTOR Filed July 20, 1944 A A* 4 Shets-Sheet 2 f INVENTOR; E.W. COLE May 22, 1945. E w, COLE 2,376,419

STEERABLE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRACTOR Filed July 20, l944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lINVENTOR. E. W. CoLE .May 22, 1945. E. w. COLE I STEERABLE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE TRACTOR 4 SheletsfSheet 4 Filed July 20, 1944 'lll'11111111111lllllllwi/lrlr lllllllllllllflllll//l lill/ll/I/l/l/l 'lll/(111 l 5 f a f shown inFigure 1.: i

Patented MayZZ, 1945 UNITED ANS-"IIMISS1 =PATENTQFF1CE- sfrnEnALE.ifea;:rlvrmnriDRIVEy 1 moryWlColelto, Text. i o Q"`pplicaton Jul'y 20,1944, SerialNo. 545;'2711 i t This invention relates to steerabl'e front wheel drive units or. assemblies, and m'oreparticularly to such unitsasappliedto farmtractors as commonly used for plowingand. cultivation of land.

Onemain objectgof` the` invention isto; provide n rear axle to the, fronta-xlenthus alfording amore positive and accurate alignmentof the-plows with the work in hand,` such aswin the cultivation of row crops orA similar lrindsoflwork.' i f o ,v

Another, object `of `theinventionis to provide a plow tractor, driven by power applied to the front. axle and drive shaft thereot, the said power being transmitted from the, drive shaft tor the steerable front wheels;` and the assembly `includo-V ing a gangof plows supported mediallyof the chassis forwardly of. anddn plain viewer the operator asV seated*` atthe `rear of. the i chassisgby which arrangement the. operator may; easily view and guide the plows closelyA andc accurately alongthe crop rowsff o V Other objects. and. advantages of `theinvention will appearifrorn. a perusal of thevspeciflcation, and reference. to `the accompanying` drawings, wherein isiexeinplied apreferred embodiment off the invention, andwherein: i i n Y Figure 1V is` agitop-plan-.view of. ai farm or plow es claims; (omiso-43p be added andincorporated" uponthe chassis in conventional manner. A'crosshplatejor beam I0 transversely' connects` the lower ends of "theT rear uprights 1, and an angularwhe'elforkjlll isjour4 naled by its central shank perpendicularly and mediallyinto the under side `of this cross beam lo, said shankbeing supported asindicateq at; i z, uponV the vertical ieg or bracket `ma medialiy pendantfrom the beam l0. Aswivvel @wheel I3 is jburnaiedwnhin the' forksjcf the element u. A seat andfoot rest unitl I4 is `mounted medially upon the cross beam I0. i o

A frontal, hollow axlebeam orhousingi l con-` nects the lower end softhe frontaluprightsLthe saidbean'i being passed atitsendsthrDUgli the uprightsat ach sidegg and these. uprights `being extended downward beiw the `beam It ai each tractor asconstructedfin accordance with this o invention. i

Figure 2 is i a` side i jelevation of `the assembly I Figure 3ds airear elevationon an enlarged scale of` the` right. hand, `frontal.` wheel assembly,` the left hand portionotjtheaxle and theupper por-` tion, onthevfrontal chassis upright: being broken'l away` Figurege `is aV medial, vertical section the asesmbly showninjy I'igurel.` n n In constructingtheplow.- tractor irraccordanicel with the embodiment represented in. the draw-` ings,` a suitable frame or chassis isfprovided; i such' ashere.represented` generally at pthe same coin-- prising a pair of laterally spaced and longitudinally extended side membersv'elevated upon cors ner uprights 'l preferably integrallyi'fcnned with the horizontal` members Biand all being'formed ot channel iron or* steel forA the` sake of strength. This,` frame or chassis: includes the upper rein` forcing cross-braces 8?, and the side braces 9LV through" side, as indicated at, I6,` @A oconventionali` differ,- ential` unitl1 is mounted".withinA a housing, I3

form-ed mediauyinthehoi1bwax1epeam :tiene n transversely aligneddrve shafts Idar-e opera` tively connected with this differential in a conventional manner,` the said shafts beingjournaled laterally throughltlie sides ofthefhousing` i8 and extended 'axially `to eachl s ide 'thereon along through the hollow axle beam' l5. l Anauxiliary garhousingj 20 is mounted at eachfendr. of `the axle `housing i5, being preferably `integrally Iormedtherewith `and being open -at its upper and' lower ends and, being!" laterally anged at these ends'as indicated. at 2`I`, 22 the upper `flange ing22' including an upstandingflangeyz. auxiliary axle" or y drive shaft housing; .24 is'` de-. pended vertically and axiallyirom the lower end of'` theohousing 20; both of these said housings being cylindrical `in.form`forthe`purpose oi rotatably mounting; the housing 24, in manner .to be pointedoutgV The lowerl end of the cylindrical housing 24 is outwardly `flanged, `as` at. 25,`` and is therebyl adapted to seat upon afconplementally anged lower gear housing 26,*,to which it is, mar-oI ginally secured by means. of @bolts l21.. Ther lower endfof the 'housing Bois` formediwith a.1 central and inset socket 28, this inset socket portion ot f the housing 26 being adapted toirotatably seat within" a` complemental l socket or receptacle 29 Any additional bracing' as desired may of `course 55 formed on the horizontally turnedlower endof the "pendant lower extension |`6 of4 the 4frontal uprights 1, itbeing understood ofcourse Vthat the described structures are to be duplicated at each 2G are vertically supported relative to the housing 20 by the bottom wall of the outer socket 29 and by the roller bearings 30 which are vertically positioned thereon, and upon the upper ends of which the horizontal walls of the inset sockets 28 have a bearing. Suicient lubricating oil is carried in the socket 29 to substantially eliminate friction and wear on the parts. Interiorly of the housing 20 an annular oil trough 3| is supported upon the walls of the housing for a use later pointed out. An annular roller bearing housing 32 formed around its upper side with an outwardly offset flange, is secured by this ange to the lower end of the housing 2l] by means of bolts 33 passed through said flange and the flange 2| of the housing 20. The auxiliary drive shaft housing 24 is formed at its upper end with the upper, annular and horizontally disposed bearing-roller guide- Way 34, and immediately thereunder another similar guide-way 35, the guide-way 34 being disposed immediately under the oil trough 3| which serves as an upper cover therefor, and the guideway 35 being inclosed outwardly by means of the housing 32. Roller bearings 36 are mounted horizontally within the guide-way 34, and similar roller bearings 31 are mounted vertically within the guide-way 35, whereby the housing 24 -is rotatably supported at its upper end and at the same time is held by the said roller bearings against lateral or vertical movement. As before stated, these structures are of course duplicated at each side of the machine,

The drive shafts I9 at each side are extended into the gear housings 20, being rotatably supported upon roller bearings 38 positioned around the ends of the shafts within the outer ends of the hollow and cylindrical axle beam I5, said bearings being freely confined in place .by the annular webs 39 extended from the inner walls of the beam or housing I5. Bevel gears 4U are rigidly anchored at the outer ends of the shafts I9, within the housings 20. Auxiliary drive shafts 4I are extended medially through the vertically aligned housings 20, 24, 26, the upper ends thereof being journaled at 42 through cover plates 43 mounted inthe upper ends of the housings 20. Brake drums 44 are rigidly anchored to the upper ends of the shafts 4| above the platesv43, and brake bands 45 encircle these drums andare adapted to tighten thereon for braking purposes by means of toggle levers (not shown), in a conventional manner, the said levers being extended back to the operators seat I4. Cover plates 41 are provided for the upper sides of the housings 2U, these plates being spaced above the plates 43 and the drums 44, and bearing upon the upstanding flanges 23, whereon they may be secured in any conventional manner. Bevel gears 48 are rigidly anchored on the upper ends ofthe shafts 4 I, within the housings 20, and are placed in mesh with the similar gears 4|] of the drive shafts I9. The lower ends of the shafts 4I are equipped Vwith the ball bearing units 49 of usual form `and located within the sockets 28 of the lower housings 26. Immediately above the units 49 and within the lower ends of the housings 26. bevel gears 50 are rigidly anchored upon the shafts 4I. Pinion shaft or spindle housings 5| are extended laterally outward from the housings 26, the same opening inwardly thereinto and being preferably integrally formed therewith for the sake of strength and rigidity. Short pinion shafts 52 are extended axially through these housings I, being rotatably seated in and supported by roller bearings 53 which are held in mentally outset annular flanges 6|) of the rims 6I, these parts being then secured together by means of bolts 62 passed through the overlapped flanges 59 and 60, as shown in Figure 4. By varying the off-set of these flanges 59 and 60, the Widthof tread of tractor wheels may be correspondingly varied, thus adapting the tractor for working in crop rows of various widths.

A steering wheel bracket 64 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the inner side of the drive shaft housing 24, below the housing 32, at one side of the differential housing I8 as selected for the purpose. This bracket is arcuate in form, is disposed horizontally, and partially embraces the housing, the curvature of its outer margin being concentric with the auxiliary drive shaft 4I. A correspondingly curved web 65, preferably formed integrally with the bracket, is extended vertically upon along the outer curved margin thereof, being thus likewise disposed concentric with the shaft 4I. The upper edge of the web 65 is formed with a rack of teeth 66. A steering gear housing 61 is depended at the under side of the' beam I5 and adjacent to the bracket 64, and a steering rod 68 is journaled therethrough from front to back, this rod being extended rearwardly and journaled in a bracket 69 depended medially from the overhead structure of the chassis, and a steering wheel 10 is mounted upon the rear end of the rod 68 and disposed conveniently in front of the operators seat. A bevel gear 1I is rigidly anchored to the forward end of the'rod 68, within the housing 61, and is placed in mesh with a similar bevel gear 12 mounted on a steering shaft 13 journaled laterally through the housing 61 and through the adjacent pendant portion I6 of the upright 1 at that side of the tractor,` as indicated at 14 in Figure 4. A spur .gear 15 is rigidly seated on the outer end of the shaft 13, and is placed in mesh with the arcuate rack 66 of the bracket 64 at that side of the tractor. Thus rotation of the steering wheel 10 will rotate the auxiliary drive shaft housing 24, for turning the wheels'51 angularly to either side, in the process of steering the tractor as desired.

A conventional form of internal combustion engine 16 is mounted in the chassis, immediately back of the'diierential unit I1, and the drive shaft 11 thereof is operatively connected with this differential, as shown, the said differential being of any conventional form. Draw Ybars 18 are attached at their forward ends at each side of the tractor to any selected ones of the series of bolt holes 19 in any conventional manner, these said holes being located in the pendant lower ends I6 of the forward uprights 1. The

vdraw bars 18 are connected at their rear ends y with the plows 8|] in any suitable manner, and

these bars are curved horizontally inward as shown, to accommodate the inward swing of the front wheels 51 in turning the tractor. The holes 19 are located above a horizontal plane passed through the pinion shafts 52, so that the drag or pull of the plows will tend to stabilize the cornerllprights and a frontal axle housing passedl atitsgends medially `through the uprights at each side', thus providing pendant lower portions-of said uprights `below the 'axle housing, the lower ends of these pendant portions being turned horizontally outward as housing supports, upper gear housingsmounted upon the ends ofthe axle housing, thefsame'being open4 at their upper am? lower sidesifauxiliary cylindrical drive shaft housings having lower gear housings rigidly mounted upon their lower ends, the latterbeing rotatably journaled and supported upon the outturned housing supports of the -loWer ends of the uprights and the auxiliary drive shaft housings being vertically aligned with the upper gear housings and. rotatably. supported in that relation, spindle housings anchored to andextended perpendicularlyfrom thevouter sides of the lower gear housings, a differential unit mounted mediallyA vwithin the .frontal axle housing, drive shafts operativel-yconnected at their inner'4 ends at each .side ofthe diierential unit and journaled. p'lpositelythrough the axle housing with. their outer ends, disposed within the upper gear housings, auxiliary drive shafts journaled down through the Avertically aligned f upper,v gear- `hous,u

ings, drive shaft housingsandlower gear hous,

ings,fspindle shafts journaled through the spindle housings, tractor wheels mounted upon the outer extendedends of the spindle shafts, and gear connections between the adjacent ends of the several shafts whereby rotation of the drive shafts :of the axle housing will in turn rotate the auxiliary drive shafts, the spindle shafts and the tractor wheels.y ,f

5. 4In a steerable front wheel drive assembly according to claim 4, means for steering the ve u hicle laterally, same comprisingv an arcuate rack upon the inner sidev of oneof the vertical androtatable auxiliary drive housings concentric with vthe drive shaft therein, a steering shaft journaled upon the frontal axle housing, gears upon theends of the steering shaft with the outer gear in meshwith the said rack, a steering rod journaled in thev chassis` perpendicularlyto the said steering shaft and extended rearwardly,iand a gear at theV forward end of the steering rod in mesh with the gear at the inner end of the steer-I ing shaft. f

. EMORY W. COLE. 

